Mt. Prospect mayor candidates spar over neighborhood resource center

The newly approved neighborhood resource center on Mount Prospect's south side has become a campaign issue in the mayors race.

The three candidates - Patricia Bird, Ernie Lasse and Mayor Irvana Wilks - each have their opinions about the center.

Lasse said he's no fan. He believes the center could be a place where illegal aliens would get services, he said. He'd like village officials to crack down on illegal aliens.

"The south side is our crime center," Lasse said. "It comes from illegal aliens. They drain our medical system and schools."

Bird said she didn't want the village to spend money leasing a space on the south side of the village. She said the village could've saved money by putting it in village hall and the library.

"I don't think we should be putting our resources into it," Bird said.

Wilks said there were a number of agencies that are cooperating with the village to provide services at the center.

It will work as a satellite office on behalf of the village, she said. A police officer would be there to work with the residents if they needed help.

"We want to make sure we show a presence" on the village's south side, Wilks said.

Last month, the village unanimously approved the lease for an information and resource hub called the Community Connections Center, which is expected to open in July. The board agreed to a lease on the 1700 block of Algonquin Road, located in the Crystal Court Shopping Center.

The village also entered into an agreement with the village's library to jointly run and pay for the center.

The two groups entered into a three-year lease for the center, costing about $3,300 per month, village officials said.

The center will be staffed by two part-time receptionists, a social worker and a community service officer. Health and human services would be provided to residents at the location with additional referrals to other resources if the center could not provide needed help.